


Rule of Three

by KiltedGuy



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: College AU, F/M, M/M, Multi, OT3, WildeSavageHopps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-09 12:45:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15267786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiltedGuy/pseuds/KiltedGuy
Summary: A Bunny with everything to prove.A Hare with nothing to lose.A Fox terrified of the world.Chance brought them together, and if they have the courage to push through the doubts they could become unbreakable. But can they deal with the hurdles life throws in their path?





	Rule of Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zootopia University. The education, and party, central of Animalia. A place where anyone can become anything.
> 
> Or so they say...

 

> To succeed in life, you need Three things: A Wishbone, A Backbone and A Funnybone.
> 
> \- Reba McEntire

It had taken countless exams, more hours buried in books than she would care to dwell on, a vigorous training regime to build up her natural abilities to near superbun levels and a sorely lacking social life... But it was worth it.

Would be worth it.

The hustle and bustle in general wasn’t new, she had dealt with the morning rushes back home after all, but she couldn’t help but pause to watch mammals pass by around her. The Burrows was a nice place if you were a rabbit, but aside for the occasional sheep or fox, it was pretty much a one species town. Heck, even the schools in the next town over only had a handful of different students. Which was disappointing now that she had a chance to take in the sheer diversity around her, fully aware she was grinning like a schoolgirl and not caring one bit.

Pachyderms, Bovines, Felines, Canines... Greys and Blacks and Sandy and Snowy... Colours and shapes never before seen in person passed by her under the archway, mingling easily with each other, talking, laughing, hoof bumping...

This... This is what life should be like. People of all pelts, coming together, msharing goals and dreams and-

“Should take a picture. It’ll last longer.”

Knocked out of her revelry, almost stumbling backwards over her luggage, Judy focused her gaze on the yak she had been staring at and through for the past five minutes, snorting as he blew some fur away from his eyes.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I think I kinda spaced there a bit.”

Bringing our her cheeriest smile, she jogged towards the larger mammal, hand outstretched.

”Name’s Judy, just starting this year. Isn’t this place amazing?”

Her smile dimmed a little as the yak glanced from her face to her hand and back again before letting out a snorting laugh, grabbing one of his cases.

”Yep, called it. Some country bumpkin’s first time in the big wide world.”

His bag swung carelessly as he passed the confused rabbit, colliding heavily with her wheeled suitcase and yanking it out of her grip, latch popping and sending her change of clothes scattering over the ground. Pausing only to smirk over his shoulder as she scrambled to gather up her shirts and trousers, he walked past the chuckling students, sarcastically waving over his shoulder.

”Should head back now lil’ bunny! Go back to popping out kits!”

As the chuckling from those watching the show became outright laughter, Judy’s hands gripped tight around one of her soiled blouses, forcing herself to unfurl her fingers before she tore the Cotten. With a deep breath she returned the blouse to her suitcase, reaching for another.

She was used to ridicule, usually whenever she announced her goals in life, and yeah, that stung. Her parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents... even her older and younger siblings considered her weird, something not to be taken seriously. But hearing her family, somewhat lovingly, tease her was vastly different to her literally first few minutes on campus. There was no fondness to soften the blow, no love to take the sting out of the comments she heard mammals mutter to each other as they passed her by.

With slow, deep breaths, she filled her case and snapped the latches shut with a little more force than nescessary. It was a setback, but not an unforeseen one. Once people got something into their head, it was difficult to shake loose. And the idea of a rabbit going to the big city to be a cop was very much something that went against the grain of society in most minds. She had just hoped she would have had a few days at least before having to don her armour again.

No one would ever take the idea of a bunny cop seriously. Not unless she forced them too. And she would. She was sure of that.

Pulled her suitcase behind her, wheels bumping and bouncing over the old cobblestone, she pulled another, softer smile into place. Not everyone would be such a mouth breather as that Yak after all, and she could forgive those laughing at her misfortune. After all, she had watched “Bunnyburrow’s Funniest Home Movies” every week since as far back as she could remember. Zootopia University drew in all kinds of mammals from all walks of life after all, the odds were not all of them would be bad. She’d find a roomie, organise chore lists, set up study dates, do all the cool stuff roomies do like... like gossip, and... 

Well, she didn’t really know. But she was certain they’d get along great!

Crossing under the iron archway separating the city outskirts from the campus proper felt like crossing from one life to another. Gone was old Judith, the joke of the burrows. In her place was Judy, and she was going to take the Zootopia University by storm!

——————————

“What do you mean, occupied?”

 The wolf looked down at her with a bored expression, pen tapping against the paperwork littering his desk, hand still outstretched with her room key.

”Well, that’s usually what we call it when someone is using the room...”

With considerable willpower, Judy tramped down on the urge to tap her foot, taking a deep breath as she gripped the edge of the table, trying her best to radiate patience.

”I don’t understand. I booked that dorm room a month in advance. I even paid a deposit on it, how can it be occupied?”

The room in question was to the North of campus, perfectly situated between the Library building, the legal lecture halls, and within jogging distance of the campus gym, perfect for Judy and her studies. There were even several grocer shops a block away, though her folks back home promised a constant supply of care packages straight from the fields. For Judy, it was the ideal place, and competition was surprisingly low. Even so, she passed over the retainer fee eagerly just to be certain of her place.

With a droning voice, the Wolf explained that any fees would be reimbursed to her before showing the first hint of emotion since he sat down, sniggering to himself quietly.

”Besides, pretty sure you’ll drop out soon enough. Or spend more time in other dorm rooms than your own... kind of a waste isn’t it?”

A flick of the wrist sent the key and card flying, causing Judy to scramble to catch them, awkwardly juggling them for a few seconds before grabbing the jingling key in a death grip. Unable to hold back the thumping of her foot this time, she pointed at the wolf’s snout with narrowed eyes.

”Now see her-“

”Next!”

Jostled carelessly to the side by a lion muttering “Finally” under his breath, the rabbit stared at the disinterested line of mammals and back to the wolf, key and security card biting into her tightly clenched fingers. Twisting on her heel, she grabbed her luggage and stormed off, storm clouds behind her eyes.

_How dare they? Just because I’m a bunny they think I’ll..._

With a shake of her head, she paused her angry, aimless wandering and reached into her pocket for the campus map provided in her orientation kit, heart sinking as she went through the various “districts”. About as far from the legal studies hall as one could get, her replacement dorm was on the outskirts of the campus map, without any of the lecture halls nearby. Suddenly her morning commute looked like a solid half hour if she was lucky instead of the five minutes she had been hoping for.

Forcing her eyes off the map, she adjusted her direction and set off, scowling to herself. It was a setback, but she had faced those before, and this wasn’t even the hardest she had faced. Most unfair, yes, but she could overcome it. She  _would_ overcome it.

She had come too far to just give in the towel now.

————————————

 The “Dorm” was, in essence... a dump. What may have once been a groundskeeper’s home had been poorly converted into accommodation for a handful of students, boasting three mid-sized rooms and a spacious, if sparse loft room. 

If the creaking of the stepladder leading up to that room was any evidence, she would happily forgo the extra space to be certain she wouldn’t come through the ceiling. Judy wasn’t a builder like her brother, but she picked up enough to spot the warning signs. Nothing she could pull up in front of the faculty however, much to her annoyance.

The kitchen was furnished, though outdated, and while it wasn’t impossible to use the appliances and furniture, she forsaw an investment in a stepladder in her future. A casual sniff in the fridge and freezer passed her inspection, though would have to air out the stench of bleach before she’d store anything inside. The main living room was much the same, mostly outdated electronics with some second hand, worn furniture. The bunny had already planned to spend most of her time at the Library anyway, but it would have been nice to have had somewhere nice to relax.

Without much fanfare, the luggage was pushed up the side of the first bed she came across, hands on her hips as she surveyed her domain for the time being. Larger than she was expecting, and with only one bed there was no need to share closet space or the large study desk set against the wall. With a small grin, Judy started mapping out where the rest of her belongings would go once they arrived. The reading lap there, the bean bag here, plenty of room for all those momentos from home on the shelves... Bed was kind of musty, and obviously not used much, but it was easily fixed with a washing line and a hard enough rod.

Her head flumped onto the pillow, eyes following the spiderwebbing cracks in the plaster with a faint little smile. Okay, so there were several setbacks on the road, but she was here, learning law and taking that next step to becoming an honest to gods police officer! In a few days she would start her courses, she would prove herself her fellow student’s equal and, maybe, earn a little respect along the way.

Bringing up her phone to check the time, she gave a short smile at the photograph of her immediate family set as the wallpaper, taking a deep breath, holding and letting it out.

She would earn her place, and make her family proud... after a brief nap...

 

===========

 

Jack’s gut gurgled moodily up at him as he crept behind the unattended lawn mower, small freezer bag in hand. Glancing around quickly, he yanked open the storage container for the clippings and shoved his arm in up to the elbow, grabbing as fat a handful as he could manage. Letting the hatch swing shut once his arm was clear, he shoved the now filled, flipped inside out bag into his pocket and walked hurriedly out of sight.

Grass could sustain him indefinitely, but he would be thankful once his scholarship’s meal plan came through. His pride wouldn’t survive the blow it would be forced to endure if he were caught eating lawnmower clippings.

There were worse alternatives out there, and he had already stared one in the face and outright refused it.

Taking a pinch to nibble on, the black striped buck wandered somewhat aimlessly through the campus gardens, glancing at the arriving students with seemingly bored indifference. At least with students arriving he could grab his key and get a decent roof over his head. Switching direction mid-step, he glared at the laughing and yelling mammals, barely holding in a sneer.

Every mammal seemed to be taking this as a big joke, or some wild party. Idiots with their parents money to burn in their pockets, about to damage their liver more in the next year than they would in the next ten. For every somewhat decent student he could pick out, there were easily another nine just waiting to drop out.

Not that it didn’t work out in his favour of course. Letting those idiots pay their tuition fees let the university set up scholarships like his own, and he was determined not to mess up this golden opportunity.

The idea of dropping out or failing was inconceivable. The only options available to him would be a cheap retail job somewhere, living paycheck to paycheck. Or go crawling back to his family.

He felt his scowl deepen while sweeping to and fro around various larger mammals legs, fists clenching tightly unto fists in his pockets. His family had made their viewpoint on his independent nature quite clear, and he knew the only way he would be allowed back into the fold would be to give up any sense of self within the burrow. A tool and a bargaining chip would be all that he would be. Something to use. Barter with. Trade or Sell.

His sister, sweet little Skye, was essentially sold off to an older buck in exchange for a plot of land, her hand in marriage auctioned off like they were back in the Savage era. She had looked so happy when she got the news....

His gut clenched, not with hunger this time. He hadn’t seen, nor heard word from her since her wedding day. To the family, she no longer existed, an asset sold and forgotten.

He refused to follow the same fate, and rebelled. Being disowned and stripped of the family name was a blessing in his mind, instead of the curse it was supposed to be.

The hare smoothly swept into place near the head of the queue for the dorm allocations, pulling the mask of casual boredom back into place, as if he had been there all the time. The bear chatting away to those around him barely gave him a passing glance, accepting the state of the world as Jack had presented it.

Despite himself, Jack gave a small half smile. Attitude was nine tenths of a good illusion. Act like you had every right to be there, and no one would ever call you out for it. 

Soon enough, his paperwork was pushed across the table to the wolf manning the desk, folding his arms impatiently as the canine scrutinised every word, condition and clause.

”Says here you don’t have a surname. You bunny hicks don’t pay attention to who’s related to who huh?”

Ignoring the casual slur, Jack folded his arms on the table, giving the wolf a smile that was all teeth, unnerving the predator to his confusion. The usual instincts predators kept subdued didn’t identify the black striped bundle of fluff as prey, but as Danger...

”I am a Hare. Not a Rabbit. Much like how you appear to be a wolf instead of, say, a coyote?”

Reaching out, he plucked the form from the unprotesting wolf’s hand, clicking a pen that seemed to echo in the wolf’s head, Jack’s sheer presence crashing against the wolf’s confidence and self importance and found it lacking, smashing the vaneer easily.

‘I don’t have time for you’ it screamed at the hunching wolf. ‘You’re beneath my concern’. 

The corner of Jack’s mouth pulled up into a genuine smirk as he regarded the blank surname on the form, pen tapping slowly. A word rose up in his mind, and considering it for a few seconds thought “Why not?”. The last words the patriarch of his old warren had yelled at him while slamming the door were meant to stop him, make him reconsider.

Why not claim it for his own? Turn an attack against his very being and turn it into new strength?

Carefully, he began to print his newly claimed surname, sliding the form back across to the now cowed wolf with his tail twitching under his chair.

**Savage**

Clicking the pen and carefully setting it aside, the newly dubbed hare clasped his hands, smiling with lips alone.

”I believe you have a key for me?”

—————————

Compared to the bridge he had been squatting under, the “dorm” was downright cozy. Could always do with some fixing up here and there, but that’s what breaks were for right?

Truth be told, it would feel nice to get his hands on some tools and be constructive again. Skye loved the little figures he had carved from the wood scraps and...

Carefully he pushed those emotions to the back of his mind and closed the door. Not locking it, much as he would like to. He could never throw away anything that reminded him of his sister after all. But instead setting it aside for a later day, when he was less vulnerable.

He came in through the back door, a little concerned by how easily the security fence was bypassed. Another task to add to the list. The kitchen was much as he had expected, and he quickly located the small key rack, one of the hooks already empty. Flicking his ears while lifting another key free, he picked up the sound of soft, muffled breathing.

Not the first, which he hadn’t expected. He would have figured anyone living this far from the college facilities had came for the party experience, not the education.

His own key had fit into the second door he had tried, leading into a small, but cozy looking room. Bed against the window wall, shielding him from the morning glare, while casting ample light onto the desk near the door on the opposite wall. Maybe too near now that he thought about it, and looking closer found several faded paint smears on the desk leg, and a patch of newer paint on the door. He would have to shift it aside slightly... when his new housemate woke up of course. He wasn’t an asshole all the time.

Dumping his baggie of clippings on the desk and tugging his thick hoodie off, Jack slowly pulled his wallet from his pocket and, after taking a stabilising breath, peeked inside. Unfortunately his earlier count hadn’t miraculously missed a few bills, leaving his funds for the near future in considerably short supply. Less so if he was unable to find his required textbooks at the second hand shop. Looks like his study sessions would have to take a hit, making a mental note to look up the student jobs that always started up when a bunch of new customers moved to the area.

There was always the garden out back... Enough grass for now, provided he could keep his gatherings subtle, and if he got a bunch of seeds somewhere, he might be able get somewhat self sufficient by next year. Hell, maybe the university would pay him for the addition to the place, though he doubted it.

Careful to avoid the more creaky looking floorboards, Jack continued his inspection of the place he would hopefully come to call Home for the next four years, letting out his first genuinely heartfelt smile in months as he swung the door open to reveal the bathroom. He would swear he could almost hear the choir of an angelic chorus as he cast his eyes over the Large-Mammal sized bathtub and shower, a small set of steps pushed near the sink for reaching the tallest shelves. Hot water was a sorely missed luxury the past few months.

Even better though?

The shelf bolted to the wall above the tub, stocked with generic, cheap hotel-issue toiletries.

Hands moving before he realised it, Jack started to loosen his shirt, nudging the door closed with his foot and locking it with a dull little click.

 

===========

 

This was a bad idea.

This was a really, really, incredibly stupid bad idea.

Nick kept his head down and his hands firmly on his rucksacks straps as he got off the bus last, mumbling a thanks to the surly pig driving. Snapping his tail against the back of his legs, he heard the doors snap shut with clatter, almost but not quite enough to drown out the disappointed grumbling of the boar.

He learnt that trick when he was seven.

He had already sent his luggage ahead to the collection point, two locks fitted on each with different combinations. Leaving his belongings exposed was nothing but trouble.

He learned that when he was five.

He counted to himself as he walked, measuring the pace carefully. Too slow, and he would be Lingering. Too fast and he would be Fleeing. Both would draw attention from the wrong sort of mammal. Too bad every mammal was the wrong sort.

He learnt that when he was fourteen.

Never push past someone. Twelve.

Never tap a shoulder to get someone’s attention. Ten.

Never ask for directions from someone bigger than you. Sixteen.

The fox kept his hands on full display as he walked along with the crowd, ears folding back slightly as several sounds of annoyance rose up around him. Never give anyone the opportunity to accuse you of wandering hands. Never let them think you’re alone, or lost. 

The Rules had kept him safe for the past few years. There were hiccups along the way, yes, but that was just because he hadn’t learnt  _all_ the rules yet. 

Be too much hassle to bother, or so unnoticeable as to avoid attention.

Thankfully, this late in the day, the crowd had began to thin out, most folks finding either their rooms or the nearest bar to start off orientation week with a bang. Even the Student Accommodation office was starting to quieten down, giving him a brief shot of courage. Taking a spot at the back of the nearest line, he shuffled his feet until he was near enough to be considered in the queue but far enough that he couldn’t reach any pockets.

The sedate pace the line moved up was comforting in its own way, allowing the Fox a chance to pause and collect his breath. Part of him was still frozen in shock at not only getting in, but actually accepting.

His mother, bless her, had always tried to get him to be more outgoing, to spend more time out in the world instead of locked away in his own head. He understood the gesture for what it was, a sign of love, care and concern, and always made sure to let her know that it was always appreciated. Always returned, though he was poor at showing it.

She had to understand though. She lived in the world, same as him. The Rules applied to her just as much as they did to him. 

Foxes had to follow different Rules than other people. Just to be considered socially acceptable to let walk around. Following the Rules would make you “Not like other Foxes”.

Never mind that all foxes he had met had been “Not like other Foxes”.

The table come up in front of him sooner than expected, and with a soft, throat clearing cough, Nick passed over his acceptance letter, quickly returning his hand to his strap.

Never make eye contact. Never  _challenge_ others.

Keeping his eyes down on the desk, he waited as the wolf, rather predictably, examined his letter with a fine tooth comb. Here was the watermark. There the signature. The code matched that on the system. Nick knew that it would have taken a matter of moments to check all the details, but he waited patiently as the  larger canine drew out the checks further, making a show of comparing every detail.

The Golden Rule. Never let them see they get to you.

He took the key and sneer without comment, slipping out of the office with a little more speed than he would normally have liked. A glance at his map had caused him to wag his tail slightly however. The building was about as far from the crowds as it was possible to get, which, truthfully, could be a double edged sword. He wouldn’t have to deal with the crowds of the day, but there were always assholes who made sport of finding the outcasts. Vandalism, pranks, casual theft...

Nick could remember when it had seemed so unfair... Just a cub when folk had broken in during the night, stealing the first thing they could grab. He couldn’t understand why his parents never called the police, why his parents acted so sad instead of angry as he had been...

He missed those more oblivious days sometimes.

Judging from the size of the “dorm” on the map, it was likely there was more than one room available, which brought up a whole new list of Rules. But he had been on edge all day, making sure the Rules were followed every step of the way, even on the cramped bus. Finding a safe space to... not hide exactly, but...

Okay, yes. It was to hide.

Once inside the safety of his own room, hopefully with its own lock, he could finally relax, and maybe start looking forwards to the course ahead of him...

—————————

The door was already unlocked when he arrived, crushing his hopes of being able to just hide in his room for the next week. His suitcases had been lined up in the hallway next to some other he didn’t recognise, and at a glance could tell someone had tried to fiddle with the combination locks. 

It was hard being right most of the time. Whether it was the porters or his new housemates would be impossible to tell.

Cautiously, he rose his snout into the air and huffed a few times, disappointed but not surprised to find the musty smell of rooms long since unaired had overpowered everything else. Letting out a soft sigh, he grabbed the suitcase and hold-all, slinging the latter over a shoulder to join his rucksack, grunting quietly as he checked for the bedrooms.

In all honesty, the house wasn’t that bad. Better than his parents place in some ways actually. The appliances, though old, weren’t second or third hand, the door locks were secure and the lights didn’t flicker when they turned on.

A faint wave of guilt passed through Nick as he thought back to his folks back home, hardly daring to imagine just how much all the fees he was racking up by being here. They swore they could manage, coaxed him into accepting the placement he had rightly earned, even having to knock some sense into him at the end. Even his best friend since as far back as he could remember pushed him towards it, in his own roundabout way. 

On impulse, the fox moved his hand to his pocket, fingers tracing the outline of his phone, tapping the casting through his jeans before pulling away. If he had gone through with that apprenticeship he had been talking about, he was probably busy. His parents too, he would have to catch them later in the short hour or so between them arriving home from work and heading to bed.

The room keys were found, and after biting his lip a little, hand switching back and forth between the two, Nick forced himself to take a deep breath and lift the one closest to his paw. The resulting room lay upstairs, overlooking the garden out the back, and thankfully came with curtains thick enough to block out most of the sunlight. Whoever had the room last was probably a light sleeper.

Dropping his luggage at the foot of his new bed, the fox gratefully sank down onto the softer than expected mattress, back against the wall. The door was closed, and the key in the lock. The curtains were drawn. The house silent.

For the first time since he had set out from Home, Nick took a deep breath and relaxed. The Rules didn’t need to be followed here. He was Safe here.

The phone came out, and after only a few seconds hesitation tapped out a series of messages, a faint smile tugging his muzzle up. Fingers danced over the screen and after connecting to the campus wifi, strong even out here, pulled a pillow behind his back and settled down, tongue peeking out in deliberation.

He had found only one exception to the Rules. One thing that made him just another mammal, and he soaked it up like a sponge, eagerly returning to one of his older saved videos...

_”Do you know who I am?”_

_”Do you know who **I** am?!”_

_”This is not a game of who-the-fuck-are-you!”_

Already the chuckles started to bubble out of him as he watched the leopard in a dress walk back and forth on stage, letting one leg dangle over the other as the tension and stress began to melt away.

Comedy, in all its forms, was the only thing to reliably bring mammals together. Funny was funny, it didn’t matter who said it or who listened. In a more innocent age he had considered a career in stand up, always pulling out the jokes and funny stories that had his classmates near howling with laughter. 

He still came up with the jokes, but it as usually his parents and Finnick who got to hear them. That was fine too in it’s way. The laughter eased their stress, gave them that escape valve they needed to get through the day. Finnick in particular, he was almost afraid of what would happen to the little guy now that he wasn’t around to whisper rude, crude or outright lewd jokes in his ear.

Speaking of...

Pausing the video, he flipped the phone upright and went back into the ananswered text to his fennec buddy, shoulders shaking a little as he typed...

”What do you call a Camel with three humps?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Named character cameo to anyone who can name that leopard!


End file.
